A SHAKEUP of hospital services at Halton General is to secure the future of the site and increase the number of patients treated.

The measures, which were discussed at public meetings in Runcorn and Widnes last week, will see an extra 75 patients each week undergo planned surgery at the Runcorn hospital rather than being diverted to Warrington.

Bosses at North Cheshire NHS Hospitals Trust hope the move will restore confidence in the future of the Halton site, something which has been speculated about since the merger with Warrington.

But the changes mean the Runcorn hospital will no longer undertake emergency surgery - and the four or five patients admitted on average for such treatment each week will be diverted to Warrington.

Ian Dalton, hospitals chief executive, told the public meeting at Runcorn on Friday that the increased number of planned operations in Halton would have a positive affect on waiting times.

He admitted: 'Patients wait too long in our system at the moment and we must do more to help them.

'Patients have a right to expect that when we provide healthcare it is good and it is quick.

'A lot of people have been asking for a long time: 'What is the future of Halton Hospital?' We have a clear plan for a credible future for Halton Hospital, and in order to do that, we must make best use of our clinical capacity across both our sites.'

He said one of the biggest problems faced at present was the number of planned operations being cancelled because of last minute emergency admissions at Warrington - something the Trust hopes will be eased by increasing the number of planned surgeries at Halton.

And Mr Dalton reassured critics who feared Halton General was in danger of being downgraded to 'cottage hospital' status, with most services transferring to Warrington.

'There has been a trend in the NHS over the last few years towards increased centralisation of services, but personally I don't sub-scribe to that view, and we certainly don't think Halton should turn into a cottage hospital,' he said.

'My presumption is that most people want to be treated locally and we, as a service provider, should look to provide local services where we can.'

At the meeting, concerns were expressed by members of the public about the emergency patients, who would currently be treated at Halton, automatically being diverted to Warrington.

But Mr Dalton said research had proven that emergency patients would receive better treatment by making the journey to Warrington.

'There is strong clinical evidence that in the case of emergency services, patients benefit from the centralisation of services. To get the best outcomes for patients, we need access to a large surgical team. That's never been the case at Halton, because of its scale.

'We feel that for both types of patients - those having emergency or planned operations - this is a good deal.'

The Trust's plans, which Mr Dalton hopes to implement within 'weeks rather than months', also have the full backing of the local medical community, according to Dr Lakshimi Narayana, GP and chair of the professional executive committee of Halton's Primary Care Trust.

He said: 'Let's be clear - these 75 extra operations a week at Halton are going to be very complicated surgeries, like cancer of the breast, vascular surgery and kidney surgery, and they are going to translate into less waiting time for Halton patients.

'By doing this we will ensure Halton hospital has a viable future. In the last 18 months there has been some uncertainty and staff have been leaving. This will help make sure Halton Hospital has a bright future.'

And he backed Mr Dalton's assertion that emergency patients would get a better deal by being transferred to Warrington.

'The advantage of going to Warrington is that there will be dedicated surgeons and a consultant on call all the time. Patients will be dealt with more quickly at Warrington than they would be at Halton.'

Now bosses hope their commitment to developing Halton General will help attract much-needed medical staff back to the hospital.